When the open-world started taking on RPG trappings with branching dialog trees and diverging story in Assassin's Creed Origins, fans were divided, since that meant major complications for the lore fiends invested in piecing the series' story together. With Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft aims to accommodate that side of the fandom with a "canon mode" that makes the choices for you.
"As for choices, they are present, and some have an impact but play less of a branching role than on Odyssey on the core narrative," creative director Jonathon Dumont says in a Reddit AMA. "Choices come more into play when recruiting allies and romance some of the characters. Since the fan base is divided on branching dialogues, we have incorporated an option called CANON MODE which allows you to play the game with choices already made for you, to give you a choice free experience. Hope this makes it fun for everyone."
